1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new and useful improved door latch assembly consisting of a latch plate and anchor base plate combination which is capable of resisting unauthorized forceable entry of a dwelling by means of kicking and/or pushing against the door. The ineffectiveness of the prior art latch plates to resist forceable entry to any reasonable degree has been a long standing serious and widely recognized prior art problem.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
While the prior art is replete with security devices designed to solve the unauthorized entry by use of a thin knife blade or plastic card being inserted between the door edge and the doorjamb to cause the displacement of a conventional sliding bolt lock system, none of the prior art has solved the problem of a weak latch plate being forcefully displaced by means of a kick and/or push against the door. Thus, the weakest part of the door lock assembly has been the lock latch plate itself, therefore, devices designed to solve the problem of prohibiting the displacement of the sliding bolt has failed to solve the problem associated with the weak anchorage of the door latch plate by use of only a plurality of conventional screws.
In an attempt to solve the prior art problem of weak anchorage of the door latch plate a device issued under U.S. Pat. No. 4,189,175 to Paxton was invented. The Paxton device consists of an improved door strike assembly having a cylindrical tang adapted for deep insertion within the door jamb. While Paxton's device admittedly strengthens the anchorage of the lock strike plate, it was done with a rather large, expensive, and complicated type of construction. In comparison to the Paxton solution, the present invention successfully strengthens and reinforces the lock strike plate with a conventional type design which is small, inexpensive, and uncomplicated to install.
Another example of a patented prior art is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,845 to Governale. The Governale device consists of a metal reinforcing plate in combination with a conventional strike plate. The reinforcing plate has integral anchor prongs which are driven into the wood jamb, thus effectively strengthening the lock strike plate. However, my invention is much improved over the Governale device due to its novel construction utilizing an anchor stem for the full length of the lock strike plate; said anchor stem being in a frictional contact with the doorjamb when disposed into a routed recess contained therein and eliminates the necessity of using a metal reinforcing plate in addition to the improved strike plate.
Another example of a prior art patent which failed to solve the problem of a weak latch plate was U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,837 to McRoy. The McRoy device has a vertically elongate locking plate with a T-shaped cross section adapted to be secured to the doorjamb adjacent the door crevice, but does not teach nor suggest my combination of a latch plate and anchor base plate which are cooperatively assembled so as to provide a rigid mounting that cannot be dislodged by kicking, pushing or use of a burglary tool.
The last prior art reference which applicant wishes to bring to the Examiner's attention in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 283,299 issued to applicant for an ornamental design for a door lock brace latch which was issued on Apr. 8, 1986 and is concerned only with the ornamental design of a door lock brace latch and is not concerned with the functional aspects of a lock latch plate and anchor base plate combination.